While I've read all of Kaur's poetry collections, I've never been able to form a proper opinion of them. Acclaimed and criticized for her particular bWhile I've read all of Kaur's poetry collections, I've never been able to form a proper opinion of them. Acclaimed and criticized for her particular brand of the so-called Instagram poetry, I have a hard time of figuring out whether I'm questioning her or the genre itself.
For this particular collection, I found many of her simplistic poems to be rather shallow. There's a few good lines and impressing metaphors to be found, but I wasn't moved or engrossed in Kaur's word play this time around. It felt too much like something I've read before, broken into lines and framed by thin pencil drawings....more
A wonderful collection of short stories and poetry by some of the history's most acclaimed writers. Louisa May Alcott's fairy tales were a special treA wonderful collection of short stories and poetry by some of the history's most acclaimed writers. Louisa May Alcott's fairy tales were a special treat – and I think I'm inspired to go hunting for more, which may be the ultimate success criteria for a collection such as this; making readers hungry for more....more
Such beautiful poetry filled with musings nature, sorrow and despair. I love Hopkins' imagery, conj"As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame"
Such beautiful poetry filled with musings nature, sorrow and despair. I love Hopkins' imagery, conjuring glimpses of wildflowers and orange sunsets....more
As hard-hitting, heartbreaking and gut wrenching as ever. I first came across Wilfred Owen when reading Dulce et Decorum est at uni and have been fascAs hard-hitting, heartbreaking and gut wrenching as ever. I first came across Wilfred Owen when reading Dulce et Decorum est at uni and have been fascinated with his brutal war poetry ever since. ...more
I enjoyed this immensely. But that may not be due to Hardy's words as much as the fact that I spent a glorious summer night listening to my boyfriend'I enjoyed this immensely. But that may not be due to Hardy's words as much as the fact that I spent a glorious summer night listening to my boyfriend's voice as he read the poems, doing different dialects and treasure hunting for words he didn't know.
After all, poetry is meant to be read aloud. It only increases the loveliness of the rhymes, giving shape and breathing life into the words.
This poetry collection itself is quite lovely. Filled with tragic love poems tinged with regret. Hardy is mourning the loss of his wife through these lines and verses; simultaneously painting a portrait of his wife and dealing with his grief....more
“I want to sleep until the universe is open. I want to sleep until I can pour myself into it and never look back; chase galaxies like sailors once chased“I want to sleep until the universe is open. I want to sleep until I can pour myself into it and never look back; chase galaxies like sailors once chased ports.”
This was a dream of a poetry collection; filled with galaxies and stars, anger and longing, love and loathing. Hewer eloquently combines old myths with modern times, commenting on her own feelings while painting a picture of the world we live in. Everything is disguised in beautifully draped words, but there's many powerful images to be found underneath the surface.
In the poem Lands Calling she writes so accurately of the homesickness and isolation one feels when living in a city of pavement and apartment buildings, lacking private space and views of the horizon;
“I am tired of this. I am tired of grey. I am tired of a world that extends ten metres before somebody else's walls block it out.”
It felt so true, it almost hurt to read.
The poetry collection is split in three parts. Personally I much preferred the first part Looking Out which (oddly enough, considering its title) felt the most personal to me.
“I mean to say you're unbearable but I'd suffer more than this to stay close.”...more
Jeg er så glad for, at Tove Ditlevsen har fået en renæssance. Ellers havde jeg højst sandsynligt aldrig fået læst hendes digte og opdaget, hvor smukt Jeg er så glad for, at Tove Ditlevsen har fået en renæssance. Ellers havde jeg højst sandsynligt aldrig fået læst hendes digte og opdaget, hvor smukt og sørgmodigt og humoristisk og hårdslående hun skriver på én og samme tid....more
I read Milk and Honey when it came out and the hype was overwhelming. And while I enjoyed it, it didn't leave me with a need to dive deeper into her aI read Milk and Honey when it came out and the hype was overwhelming. And while I enjoyed it, it didn't leave me with a need to dive deeper into her authorship. I had no plan to read her next collection – but then it found its way to my bookshelf through the hands of a friend. And of course I had to read it.
In many ways, I think I like this volume of Kaur's poetry much more than Milk and Honey. It's certainly a gripping read, easily consumed and full of beautiful words and drawing.
It's the poetry style itself that I'm not certain about. I can't decide whether it's me that's old-fashioned or if Kaur's line breaks are too simplistic for my taste. Nevertheless some of the poems felt much too abrupt. To me, Kaur is strongest in her longer poems. ...more
A poem for every night of the year. And it did take me an entire year to read it (longer, even); to stretch the pages and the poems, making the words A poem for every night of the year. And it did take me an entire year to read it (longer, even); to stretch the pages and the poems, making the words last and linger, rationing them into small doses.
It turns out, it's quite beautiful to have a poem to read every night of the year. I loved crawling into bed and falling asleep to the well-composed words of Keats, Yeats, A. A. Milne and Tennyson. And best of all, I discovered some new favourites as well.
I can highly recommend this volume; but more than that, I can recommend consuming a tiny bit of poetry every day. It does wonders for your soul. ...more
This was beautiful. Certainly not perfect, but beautiful. Cohen isn't necessarily the greatest lyrical wr“I move toward a love you have dreamed for me”
This was beautiful. Certainly not perfect, but beautiful. Cohen isn't necessarily the greatest lyrical writer, but he puts feeling into every word, and his poetry is a pleasure to read....more
“... in those dark warm nights, golden stars startle and delight us continually by falling from the sky.” – Leo Tolstoy
A beautiful collection of poetr“... in those dark warm nights, golden stars startle and delight us continually by falling from the sky.” – Leo Tolstoy
A beautiful collection of poetry and excerpts, all about the wonders of autumn; falling leaves and colder winds. There seems to be no rhyme and reason in the texts chosen for this anthology, rather the aim seems to be to "have a bit of everything".
In this anthology you'll find a recipe for pumpkin pie; an excerpt on apple boiling from Laura Ingalls Wilder's much beloved childhood series, Jane Austen's little musings on autumn from Persuasion, and of course, most famous of all, To Autumn by John Keats.
But you'll also find a few lines from Leo Tolstoy, observations by Henry David Thoreau, a single line from Virginia Woolf's diary, poetry by William Blake, Emily Dickinson and Elinor Wylie – and even a letter written by Vincent Van Gogh.
While this is a small volume, it certainly contains many words on the "bonfire of leaves" (as Elinor Wylie so beautifully wrote), and it succeeded in putting me in the mood for pumpkins, golden hours of sun and crispy leaves.
“Fall, leave, fall; die, flowers, away; Lengthen night and shorten day; Every leaf speaks bliss to me Fluttering from the autumn tree.” – Emily Brontë...more
"I’d like to get away from earth awhile And then come back to it and begin over."
These past few weeks I've crawled into bed with a head full of thought"I’d like to get away from earth awhile And then come back to it and begin over."
These past few weeks I've crawled into bed with a head full of thoughts and worries. And the only logic solution seemed to be reading a bit of poetry before going to sleep. A well-written verse always calms the soul.
For this project, I chose Robert Frost. Of course I did. His poetry is well-known for its calm rhytm and simplistic beauty. I've never been able to walk by a birch tree without recalling the first few lines of Birches – a beautiful poem that may not be about birches at all but evokes them nevertheless.
Reading this entire collection from beginning to end, I realised that Frost is one of my favourite poets. His authorship is so complex, his poetry heavy with symbolism and yet he has produced universally loved poems such as The Road Not Taken, Fire and Ice and of course my personal favourite: “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening”.
I've been returning to the famous words of Robert Frost for years, circled around them, written them down and whispered them to myself. Now I've found even more of his poetry to cherish and keep for years to come.
Reading this at this moment in time was the best decision.
"I have been one acquainted with the night. I have walked out in rain—and back in rain. I have outwalked the furthest city light."...more
“But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
God, I love Yeats. I love“But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
God, I love Yeats. I love his poetry. His way with words. His evocative writing style, turning political discussions into fairy tales, and sickenly sweet declarations of love into something unearthly beautiful.
Yeats' poetry is of course worthy of every star I could possibly fill this review with. His poems are old favorites of mine; words that I return to over and over again and find some sort of odd comfort in. But this was actually the first time I read his prose – and even of his plays. While it certainly was interesting, it also felt a bit repetitive, like less powerful renderings of his beloved poetry.
“A mermaid found a swimming lad, Picked him up for her own, Pressed her body to his body, Laughed; and plunging down Forgot in cruel happiness That even lovers drown.”
Almost all of the included fairy tales share the same structure; Yeats sets up a frame, where he claims a neighbor or friend of his has experienced something supernatural – usually something involving fairies – and then proceeds to tell the story as a real event or a distant memory. Some research tells me that Yeats did in fact believe in fairies and even were a member of a few occult societies, experimenting with magic. This explains quite a lot; the mythic atmosphere in his poetry and the obsessive exploration of fairies in his prose. Yet it also steals away a bit of the magic; taking the fairy tales out of their magic realm and into Yeats' personal belief system.
I did find it interesting to read Yeats' prose – even though it also confirmed that I mainly admire him for his poetry. ...more
“To cage a songbird with so sweet A voice is wrong – I'll fly to paradise's garden Where I belong.” - Hafez
This was such a fascinating poetry collection“To cage a songbird with so sweet A voice is wrong – I'll fly to paradise's garden Where I belong.” - Hafez
This was such a fascinating poetry collection with poems I had never read, never even heard of before. It is beautiful to catch a glimpse of a world one have never known through poetry; through strong voices, wordplay and pretty verses. The foreword to this anthology provided me with some useful context before reading the actual poems themselves. I would not have made much of them, would not have understood them even vaguely, if I had simply skipped the foreword and gone straight to the poems. They are difficult and different from anything I've ever read.
"Faces of Love" consist of poetry from three different authors; the celebrated Hafez, the lyrical princess Jahan Malek Khatun and the provocative satirist Obayd-e Zakani. While I did enjoy Obayd-e Zakini's satire and the symbolism of Hafez, I found their poems about wine and enjoyment rather repetitive. For me, Jahan Malek Khatun's poetry was the most interesting part about this collection, as her poems about love and suffering make a beautiful contrast.
“My poor heart dreamed of you So earnestly it seems, Your image turned my flesh Into the stuff of dreams.” - Jahan Malek Khatun...more
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